Digital newsstand snack

It’s a lot of work just to look at the news in a cool way, but it’s true — I want one.

This is a newspaper box — you know, the kind you see on every street corner around town — but majorly pimped out so it shows the news digitally.

Check out the video:

It wasn’t the creator’s intention, but I can’t help seeing something really sad here, that we’re already treating accessories to print publications as artifacts of another age, relics with a nostalgic appeal that must be upgraded to be cool. The creator of this box found its skeleton on eBay. And look, here’s another one, and another one, and another one, up for bids.

We’re still filling these up day after day with real paper, people. They are still relevant!

This coming from a reporter who’s about to go online — go all online — and kiss her print byline goodbye.

Seriously. Look who’s talking.

The prospect is scary in a distant way. I feel only the concern I expect others would feel; it’s not really mine.

If you read this column a while back, you already know I’m not a big fan of newspapers. In fact, I can’t remember the last time I dropped a couple quarters into one of those newspaper boxes and pulled something out.

I read the “USA Today” that showed up in front of my hotel door each morning down at the NAHJ conference in San Jose. But only because it was free, and just lying there, lonely.